RCMP officers share drug dangers with students in rural Saskatchewan
By Travis Poland
Children and youth
RCMP Constable Ryan Fraser and Sergeant Wanita Minty developed a school presentation to warn students about the dangers of drugs and build rapport with young people in the community.
Image by RCMP
July 21, 2022
Content
When RCMP officers in Tisdale, Saskatchewan, responded to a string of overdoses in December 2021, they knew more had to be done to prevent the harm caused by drugs. That same year, there were 225 confirmed and 239 suspected overdose deaths in Saskatchewan, according to the province's Coroner's Service — more than any other year on record.
"Some of the things I've been seeing have struck me," says Sergeant Wanita Minty, an RCMP officer of 22 years and officer in charge of the Tisdale detachment. "We've had parents calling concerned about their children, more calls from the hospital about drug-related disturbances, and we went to three overdose calls with Emergency Medical Services."
To combat the problem, officers at the detachment developed a drug-awareness program for local middle school and high school students.
"We want to educate the students and ensure they know drugs can be very dangerous and have fatal consequences," says Cst. Ryan Fraser, who helped developed the presentation.
An interactive experience
During the one-hour presentation, police officers discuss the different types of drugs, their dangers and how to avoid them. Fraser says he included videos and other interactive elements in the presentation to help keep students engaged. "I also stop often to ask and answer questions and get the students involved," says Fraser.
While the presentation covers the risks posed by legal drugs such as alcohol and cannabis, it also explains the dangers of harder drugs, especially fentanyl. The drug is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, increasing the risk of accidental overdose. Drug users might not know they're taking fentanyl because the substance is odourless and tasteless, and can be easily added to counterfeit pills made to look like prescription drugs.
The presentations also provide an opportunity for police to build rapport with local young people. "Youth know a lot more than we think they do and this gives them an opportunity to meet police and make a connection," says Minty.
Delivering the presentations is one way the Tisdale RCMP is working to promote harm reduction. They're also working with the local hospital to distribute fentanyl test strips to reduce the risk of overdose and death.
Above all, Minty says it's important for people to know they can call 911 during any suspected overdose. "You will not get in trouble for reporting an overdose and you can save a life," says Minty. "Don't be afraid to call the police for help. We want you to be well and we want you to live."
